2012 British Museum: Marble bust of Marcus Aurelius
Marble bust of the emperor Marcus Aurelius in a fringed cloak.
AD 161-180
From Cyrene, North Africa
One of a series of Imperial busts from the residence of Jason Magnus, a prominen citizen of Cyrene, North Africa.
Marcus Aurelius (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus) was Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180.
He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Verus' death in 169. He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors", and is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers.
During his reign, the Empire defeated a revitalized Parthian Empire; Aurelius' general Avidius Cassius sacked the capital Ctesiphon in 164. Aurelius fought the Marcomanni, Quadi, and Sarmatians with success during the Marcomannic Wars, but the threat of the Germanic tribes began to represent a troubling reality for the Empire. A revolt in the East led by Avidius Cassius failed to gain momentum and was suppressed immediately.
Marcus Aurelius' Stoic tome Meditations, written in Greek while on campaign between 170 and 180, is still revered as a literary monument to a philosophy of service and duty, describing how to find and preserve equanimity in the midst of conflict by following nature as a source of guidance and inspiration.
2012 British Museum: Marble bust of Marcus Aurelius
Marble bust of the emperor Marcus Aurelius in a fringed cloak.
AD 161-180
From Cyrene, North Africa
One of a series of Imperial busts from the residence of Jason Magnus, a prominen citizen of Cyrene, North Africa.
Marcus Aurelius (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus) was Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180.
He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Verus' death in 169. He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors", and is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers.
During his reign, the Empire defeated a revitalized Parthian Empire; Aurelius' general Avidius Cassius sacked the capital Ctesiphon in 164. Aurelius fought the Marcomanni, Quadi, and Sarmatians with success during the Marcomannic Wars, but the threat of the Germanic tribes began to represent a troubling reality for the Empire. A revolt in the East led by Avidius Cassius failed to gain momentum and was suppressed immediately.
Marcus Aurelius' Stoic tome Meditations, written in Greek while on campaign between 170 and 180, is still revered as a literary monument to a philosophy of service and duty, describing how to find and preserve equanimity in the midst of conflict by following nature as a source of guidance and inspiration.